HIGHLIGHTS

Agra is a city with an international stature, whereas Saifai has no distinction except being the hometown of the Chief Minister, says an official. Photo: PTI

HIGHLIGHTS

UP govt has recommended Safai to set up international airport.

Officials of tourism department are miffed with the idea.

They say Agra is worthy of an airport, as it is known globally.

When UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took a page out of former Union MoS for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma's book and issued a notification for an international airport in his hometown Saifai, the Agra tourism industry boiled up in rage, claiming that first Mahesh Sharma and now Akhilesh Yadav have cheated Agra of its due share.

TAJ IN AGRA, BUT AIRPORT IN SAFAI

Talking to India Today, Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber President Prahalad Agarwal said that the UP Government has recently issued a government order recommending Saifai as the most likely place for building Taj International Airport as it is well connected by railway, expressway and has adequate land available for the airport.

"However, while issuing this order, the UP government conveniently ignored the fact that all these facilities are also available in Agra and being the tourism center of UP with several lakh tourists visiting the city every year, Agra is definitely a more deserving candidate for an international airport than Saifai, which is too far from Agra to benefit the city in any manner. To take the Taj International Airport to Saifai is like robbing Agra of its due share", he said.

POLITICS IN PLAY

Rajiv Tiwari, President of Federation of Tourist and Travel Associations said that it was upto the central government to decide if it will approve the international airport project in Saifai or not, but it is clearly the failure of the public representatives of Agra who could not forcibly put forth the demands of Agra and its people before the central and state governments, making this city a 'football' between the Union and state governments.

Agra Footwear Manufacturers and Exporters Chamber Vice-President Nazir Ahmed said that Agra is a city with an international stature, whereas Saifai has no distinction except being the hometown of the Chief Minister. If being the CM's hometown was enough reason to take Agra's international airport to Saifai, then it reflected very poorly on the level of politics being played in UP.

He said that nobody outside UP knew about Saifai whereas Agra was known globally and yet, the CM chose to ignore a 40-year-old demand of Agra for an international airport and proposed his hometown for it, which was very shameful.

CONGRESS WILL RAISE ISSUE

Talking to India Today, UP Congress President and former Agra MP Raj Babbar said that he was the first MP of Agra to seriously raise the issue of an international airport in Agra before the central government, despite being in the opposition.

The way Agra's claim was being played with by both the Union and the state governments is intolerable and the Congress will make it an electoral issue in the coming UP assembly elections. He said that he will personally raise this issue in all forums possible and demand that it was high time Agra was given its due share.

Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn't like in the comments